Eastgate Regional Council of Governments took local leaders on a kayak tour to inspire them to come together to help make progress on a project that would remove the dams from the Mahoning River.

The dams were constructed for mill use but no longer serve a functional purpose and take a toll on the water quality.

Ohio EPA Director Craig Bulter said, "As soon as you remove these dams, and take away the sediment from this historical contamination that's in the waterway, the water quality improves almost instantaneously."

He explains, "You see a rebound in water quality; fish species, and fish diversity as well as just opening [the river] up to the public and letting them have access to the river, which is really an economic draw for the communities as well."

Not only will the water quality of the river improve, but the removal of the low head dams would greatly increase safety on the river.

Matthew Smith, the assistant regional scenic river manager, said that low head dams pose a major threat to those using the river.

Smith explains that the dams are a danger due to the fact that "on the downside of the stream [the dams] have a drowning machine."

He said that "it's basically a vortex where water circulates and when people are canoeing, fishing or anything like that; if they get stuck in downstream turbulence, they are very likely to drown."

Altogether, it is estimated to cost around $20 million to remove the nine dams on the Mahoning River.

So far, one dam in Lowellville and another in Struthers already have the funding and are set to come out.

Now the focus is moving upstream to removing the three dams in Youngstown.

The project for the removal of the three within the city is half funded. 

Eastgate Executive Director Jim Kinnick hopes to see the river dam free by 2025.  

"I think we are honestly looking at the three in the city of Youngstown coming out in the summer of 2020," said Kinnick. "And then we would hopefully progress one dam a year for the next four years after that."